Sergei Fedorov

FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT SERGEI FEDOROV - PAGE 3

While the NHL's Eastern Conference is a vast wasteland of mediocrity, the West is a land of abundant riches. A handful of teams can harbor legitimate dreams of Stanley Cup glory come June, which should make for one of the best postseasons in recent years. Colorado, Detroit and Dallas were all upset early in the playoffs last year and have retooled, looking to regain their accustomed lofty status. But Anaheim, the surprise West champion, didn't rest on its laurels. The Mighty Ducks let Paul Kariya and Adam Oates go, but they brought in Sergei Fedorov and Vinny Prospal to ignite the offense.

Sergei Fedorov had two goals and an assist a day after his 33rd birthday as the Detroit Red Wings defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-4 Saturday night. His short-handed goal in the second period gave Detroit a 5-3 lead. Jody Shelley's goal 1:40 into the third period pulled the Blue Jackets within 5-4. Kirk Maltby restored Detroit's two-goal lead with 7:47 left. RESULTS, SATURDAY'S SYNOPSIS N.Y. Rangers 1 at Toronto 4 Rangers got their season-high fifth straight loss as 19-year-old Dan Blackburn got his 18th straight start in goal.

Brendan Shanahan scored his eighth game-winning goal of the season, capping a rally from a three-goal deficit as the Detroit Red Wings beat the Colorado Avalanche 4-3 Sunday night. Shanahan had the decisive goal, his 29th, at 16 minutes 7 seconds of the final period. After Sergei Fedorov got the puck airborne on an apparent attempt to dump it into the Colorado zone, Shanahan chased after it and beat defenseman Martin Skoula and goalie Patrick Roy. After falling behind 3-0 midway through the second period, Detroit got second-period goals from Fedorov and Darren McCarty.

Darren McCarty scored a power-play goal 2 minutes 41 seconds into overtime as the Detroit Red Wings beat the Maple Leafs 4-3 Wednesday night in Toronto. It was the first power-play goal in four chances for Detroit. Rookie Kelly Fairchild, playing in his first NHL game, had been called for holding. McCarty's 11th goal gave Detroit a sweep of its five games against Toronto this season, including Tuesday's 6-5 win in Detroit. "It's a good possibility we could meet them in the (playoffs)

Don't expect to see Mike Maneluk in a Blackhawks uniform next season. The 25-year-old rookie winger has been placed on waivers, according to a source. If he is not claimed by another team by noon Thursday, he most likely will be assigned to a Hawks minor-league affiliate. "The negotiations have broken off, and there is no chance we're going to get something signed," said Neil Sheehy, Maneluk's agent. "We were more than willing to do something, but it didn't work out." Maneluk has been in exile since Feb. 6, when General Manager Bob Murray said Sheehy rejected a two-year, two-way deal.

Sergei Fedorov scored twice and added an assist against his former team as the Blue Jackets edged the Red Wings 4-3 Monday night, Detroit's first loss in three years in Columbus, Ohio. David Vyborny added three assists. Dominik Hasek gave up three goals on 12 shots in the first period and was replaced by Chris Osgood, making his first appearance since fracturing his wrist Nov. 3. The Rangers placed Sandis Ozolinsh on waivers. The defenseman, 34, had no goals, three assists and a minus-8 rating in 21 games.

Indianapolis Vipers' quarterback Lakeia Witherspoon is out for the season: She's pregnant. The 26-year-old, who had hoped to lead the Vipers when they open their inaugural season in the Women's American Football League in October, is expecting her fourth child in September. "I'm on hold now," said Witherspoon. "I was really looking forward to it. I'm a good ball thrower." It'll be a boy! Andre Agassi revealed Monday at the Mercedes-Benz Cup tournament in Los Angeles that he and Steffi Graf will be parents of a baby boy in December.

The Detroit Red Wings matched Carolina's offer to Sergei Fedorov on Thursday, less than an hour after an arbitrator sided with the Hurricanes in their dispute with the NHL on the validity of the $38 million, six-year deal. Fedorov, who helped the Red Wings win the Stanley Cup last year but hasn't played for them all season, said in a statement that he will take the offer and play for Detroit. "While I am returning to the Red Wings with a desire to win another Stanley Cup, I want to add that I have the utmost appreciation and respect for the Carolina Hurricanes," Fedorov said.

The Carolina Hurricanes asked an arbitrator to uphold the contract offered to center Sergei Fedorov that includes a possible $28 million payoff this season. The NHL moved to disallow the deal Monday, saying it violated the league's collective-bargaining agreement. Fedorov, a restricted free agent, has not played this season because of a contract dispute with the Detroit Red Wings. Carolina General Manager Jim Rutherford said he expects arbitrator John Sands to make a ruling late Thursday or early Friday.

The Soviet hockey federation announced Thursday it would sue the Detroit Red Wings for signing forward Sergei Fedorov but would not cancel exhibition games with the National Hockey League. Fedorov, one of the top players in the world, left the Soviet national team on July 21 after a game against the United States in Portland, Ore., during the Goodwill Games. The Red Wings announced two days later that Fedorov was in Detroit and had agreed to a contract. The official news agency Tass said the Soviet Ice Hockey Federation and the Soviet Army Club decided to sue because Fedorov, 20, violated the Soviet labor code.